“Our district has so much to offer”: Councillors praise success of Our Year as figures show nearly 10 per cent boost in visitors to Wakefield

The latest figures show a 9.6 per cent increase in visitors to the district in 2024 compared with the previous year – amounting to more than 10 million people.

This generated £851million in visitor and tourism business expenditure in the district, which was a 13.3 per cent increase on the previous year.

Wakefield Council said the success of Our Year was responsible for some of the increase, which celebrated the culture and heritage of the district.

The council also said the increase demonstrated the overall strength of the district’s hospitality, cultural and tourism sector, highlighting some of the district’s major attractions, including Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Hepworth Wakefield and Pontefract Castle.

Coun Hannah Appleyard, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “It’s very encouraging that more people are discovering what a great place we are to visit.

“Our district has so much to offer, with so much to see and do. Our attractions and our hospitality sector are very strong in attracting people to the district.

“We had a very successful Our Year – Wakefield District 2024 – which celebrated and successfully spotlighted our culture and heritage and contributed to this success.

“We are also seeing the benefits of our plan to work more closely with partners to develop our offer.”

Coun Jack Hemingway, Wakefield Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Growth, said: “Tourism is an important part of our economy and we’ll continue to work with partners and to encourage more visitors to enjoy the great experiences on offer in our district.”

The announcement of the figures comes after the council set out “ambitious plans” last year to boost tourism through its Destination Management Plan.

The plan involves working with the tourism and hospitality sector to achieve increased spend from visitors by extending stays and creating new and sustainable experiences.

The plan also involves “ensuring the district’s infrastructure is ready for growth, that visitors feel welcome and can easily find the information they need to have a positive experience during their visit, creating a desire to return,” the council said.